We welcome Chesterfield to the Banks’s Stadium this Saturday knowing a win will keep us at the top of League 1 and hopefully start to open a gap to the chasing pack.
Vital Quotes:
Smith “”But it`ll be a tough game against Chesterfield.
“Their away record is better than their home record and they`ve got good players, the likes of Jay O`Shea, Sam Morsy and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, who are really good footballers.”
Walsall Team News:
Walsall are sweating on the fitness of James O’Connor who has not trained all week due to a groin injury sustained in last Saturday’s win over Burton.
Player to watch: Tom Bradshaw
Bradshaw made it two goals in four games last weekend and made it four home goals on the bounce.
He scored in this fixture last season and will be hoping to get into double figures for the season.
Chesterfield Team News:
Ariyibi returns after international duty, Lee Novak will re-join the squad after a thigh injury leaving just long term injury victim Angel Martinez and striker Byron Harrison absent for the weekend.
Player to watch: Sam Morsy
Tough tackling Morsy is very similiar to Adam Chambers with his ability to break up play however Morsy can score goals too.
He has already scored three goals this term and will need to be marked.
Match Facts & Stats
This Saturday Walsall host Chesterfield at the Banks’s Stadium hoping to extend their lead at the top of League 1.
The Saddlers and Spireites have met in the league on eighty eight occasions – Walsall 32, Chesterfield 29, Draw 27.
The last meeting between the two sides, saw Sam Hird score a eighty seventh winner as Chesterfield won 1-0 at the Proact Stadium.
The last time both sides met at the Banks’s Stadium was in October last year – where a Tom Bradshaw goal was enough to give the Saddlers victory against a hard working Chesterfield side.
Recent head to head between both sides –
16 Apr 1996 Chesterfield v Walsall D 1-1 Division 2
27 Aug 1996 Chesterfield v Walsall L 1-0 Division 2
01 Apr 1997 Walsall v Chesterfield D 1-1 Division 2
09 Aug 1997 Chesterfield v Walsall L 3-1 Division 2
10 Jan 1998 Walsall v Chesterfield W 3-2 Division 2
12 Sep 1998 Chesterfield v Walsall W 0-1 Division 2
20 Feb 1999 Walsall v Chesterfield D 1-1 Division 2
18 Sep 2004 Chesterfield v Walsall L 1-0 League One
15 Jan 2005 Walsall v Chesterfield W 3-0 League One
17 Sep 2005 Walsall v Chesterfield L 2-3 League One
21 Jan 2006 Chesterfield v Walsall D 2-2 League One
31 Aug 2010 Walsall v Chesterfield L 1-2 JPT
17 Dec 2011 Chesterfield v Walsall D 1-1 League One
07 Apr 2012 Walsall v Chesterfield W 3-2 League One
25 Oct 2014 Walsall v Chesterfield W 1-0 League One
28 Mar 2015 Chesterfield v Walsall L 1-0 League One
In the last nineteen years, Walsall have only lost once at home to Chesterfield in the league – this came in 2005 where Chesterfield came from two goals down to beat the Saddlers 3-2 with Wayne Allison grabbing the winner.
Ref Watch:
The match officials have been announced for this Saturday’s League 1 game with Chesterfield at the Banks’s Stadium.
Match Officials are as follows –
Referee – CHRISTOPHER KAVANAGH
Linesmen – Peter Gooch and Robert Jones
Fourth Official – Marvyn Amphlett
Kavanagh (Lancashire) is yet to officiate a Walsall match having spent the majority of his career officiating in the Vanarama Conference.
Kavanagh has officiated ten games so far this season, dishing out thirty four yellow cards.
In 2013/14 Kavanagh took charge of the Conference Play-Off Final.
Match Prediction:
Given Chesterfield’s poor run recently and that we have not lost in the last six games you wouldn’t expect anything other than a home win.
The way we are playing, we will hammer someone and I think it might come this weekend.
Vital Prediction – 4-0, Bradshaw x 2, Sawyers and Mantom.
Next Fixtures:
20.10.15 – Barnsley v WALSALL
